1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a lever drag mechanism, more specifically, to a dual-bearing reel lever drag mechanism configured to brake rotation of a dual-bearing spool in a fishing line release direction.
2. Background Information
Dual-bearing reels are generally provided with a drag mechanism. The drag mechanism is configured to prevent a fishing line from being cut by a rapid strong pulling force that is produced in braking a spool rotating in the fishing line release direction. One of the well-known types of the dual-bearing reels is a lever-drag type. Dual-bearing reels of the lever-drag type are provided with a drag mechanism attached onto the periphery of the spool shaft. For example, Japan Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2006-246794 describes a lever-drag type dual-bearing reel. The lever drag mechanism of the dual-bearing reel includes a drag lever, a friction disc, a drag disc, and a moving mechanism. The drag lever is attached onto the spool shaft in a pivotable state. The friction disc is attached and fixed to the right outer surface of the spool (i.e., a side of a reel body for attaching a drag lever thereto). The drag disc is attached onto the spool shaft while being prevented from axially moving and further prevented from rotating in the fishing line release direction of the spool. The drag disc is disposed in the interior of the right section of the reel body. The drag disc is opposed to the friction disc while being allowed to make contact with it. The moving mechanism is configured to reciprocate the spool shaft right and left for causing the drag disc to make contact with or separate from the friction disc in conjunction with pivot of the drag lever. The left section of the reel body of the spool can be compactly formed with the structure that the friction disc is fixed to the right outer surface of the spool. Therefore, the small/middle sized reels, palmed by the hand holding a fishing rod, often adopt this structure.
The moving mechanism with the foregoing configuration includes a pull mechanism and a second spring member. The pull mechanism is configured to pull the spool shaft to the right (i.e., the side of the reel body for attaching the drag lever thereto) in conjunction with clockwise pivot of the drag lever (which produces a drag-effective state) in order to move the friction disc attached to the spool in a direction allowing the friction disc to make contact with the drag disc. The second spring member is configured to move the spool shaft to the left by means of its urging force in conjunction with counterclockwise pivot of the drag lever (which produces a drag-free state). The second spring member with the configuration is disposed for pressing an inner ring of a second bearing to the left side. The second bearing is herein interposed between the right inner peripheral surface of the spool and the outer peripheral surface of the spool shaft. When being pressed to the left side, the inner ring of the second bearing makes contact with a stepped portion of one end of the spool shaft, i.e., a right stepped portion of the spool shaft. The spool shaft is thereby pressed and moved to the left side.
Further, a first bearing is interposed between the left inner peripheral surface of the spool and the outer peripheral surface of the spool shaft. Even further, a first spring member is disposed in a left inner ring of the first bearing. The first spring member is configured to urge the first bearing and the spool to the right. Still further, a stepped portion of the other end of the spool shaft, i.e., a left stepped portion of the spool shaft, is disposed in the right inner ring of the first bearing in a contactable state. When the spool shaft is moved to the left, the first bearing is moved to the left and the first spring member is thereby compressed. The spool is herein configured to be moved right and left unitarily with the spool shaft through the first bearing properly positioned onto the spool shaft by means of a washer.
The well-known lever drag mechanism has a configuration in which the second spring member presses and moves the spool shaft to the left through the inner ring of the second bearing in conjunction with the counterclockwise pivot of the drag lever (which produces the drag-free state). When the spool shaft is moved to the left side, the stepped portion of the other end of the spool shaft presses the inner ring of the first bearing to the left. When the first bearing is thus moved to the left, the first spring member is compressed. In this case, thrust does not act on the spool, but the spool may axially wobble onto the spool shaft. When the spool thus axially wobbles onto the spool shaft, a drag position may be shifted from its initially-set position. This may result in unstable drag force. Further in this case, the spool may move in the course of casting. This may obstruct free-wheeling of the spool.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved dual-baring reel lever drag mechanism for stabilizing an initial setting of drag force without worsening free-wheeling of a spool. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.